He was a kid from Brooklyn who worked in a bakery. He was drafted into the Army just before WWII and became a buck sergeant who never fired a shot in anger- a fact this kind and gentle and wise man was proud of.
He came to Miami after the war and attended the U of M on the GI bill and soon after graduating law school went to work for legendary Miami State Attorney Richard Gerstein. It was at the State Attorneys Office that Gelber and a new hire named Janet Reno were tasked with helping create Florida's Juvenile Justice system.
From the State Attorneys Office he became a Judge and devoted his career to juvenile justice. After leaving the bench he was mayor of Miami Beach.
Seymour Gelber was so much more than a Judge or a Mayor or a Prosecutor. His total exceeded the sum of his parts. He was a wise and caring man and community leader who was self-effacing and led with a smile and a sense of humor. Miami is Miami because of men and women like Gelber. He gave more than he ever took. He was the embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt's quote that "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."
The Miami Herald obit is here.
We rest in the shade of giant oaks that were planted as acorns. Seymour Gelber planted many acorns in his life and he became the giant oak that gives us all shade.
1984, I was a prosecutor in his juvy courtroom. He treated me like a son. He and Judge Gladstone were the most honorable gentlemen over there. Both really were good men. Mike Catalano
ReplyDeleteI did my first trial as a licensed attorney (grand theft of a pit bull) in front of him in juvenile court and ended up voting for him several times when he ran for mayor of Miami Beach. He was a tough judge and one of the few honest politicians this area has ever had.
ReplyDeleteHE WAS THE FIRST CLASS OF PUBLIC DEFENDERS. WHEN I WAS A YOUNG PD IN JUVI (HE WAS A SENIOR JUDGE THERE) HE TOLD US ALL THE STORY OF HOW THE GIDEON MANDATE CAME DOWN FROM SCOTUS. SO HIS BOSS SAID TO THE ASAS (LIKE 20 BACK THEN) I NEED HALF OF YOU TO BE PUBLIC DEFENDERS, WHO VOLUNTEERS? NO ONE RAISED THEIR HANDS. THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT ENTAILED, THE OFFICE DID NOT EVEN EXIST. HIS BOSS THEN SAID "OK, THOSE WHO VOLUNTEER GET AN EXTRA XX NUMBER OF DOLLARS". HE AND LIKE 3 OTHER VOLUNTEERED STARTING THE FIRST CLASS OF MIAMI DADE PUBLIC DEFENDERS. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG HE STAYED, BUT I BELIEVE TO THIS DAY ITS WHY PD STARTING SALARY IS A BIT HIGHER THAN THE ASAS.
ReplyDeleteIT WAS A GREAT STORY WE WERE ALL IN AWE. R.I.P.
CARMEN M. VIZCAINO.
Carmen, WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?
ReplyDeleteIt's like it's 1992 and you are in an AOL chat room for the first time and do not know CAPS are SHOUTING on the internet.
Jeeze
First, not shouting I just talk that way. second, my computer screen is somewhere between too far to see without my glasses and too close to see with my glasses, so caps lock helps me see the tiny typing on this blog. Third, anonymous? really?
ReplyDeleteCarmen M. Vizcaino, Esq.
that s a wonderful story carmen
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing
i could care less if you told it in ALL CAPS or all bold or without any caps or punctuation
kathy hamilton
ps i am not whispering